This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Mike Smith, CGY vs. CAR ($8,000): The beauty about picking Smith despite his .888 save percentage is that he gets a lot of goal support. He's 7-2-0 since December and that's despite averaging three goals allowed per game. The Flames are on a roll and they've been excellent at home, while the Hurricanes continue to struggle with consistency, defending and goaltending. Don't expect a shutout or anything, but a win is very likely.
CENTER
Dylan Larkin, DET at EDM ($7,100): He's low-key becoming one of the league's best two-way centers and certainly the future captain. He'll have his hands full, however, covering Connor McDavid, but the upside is that he gets to face the Oilers' incompetent defense and inconsistent goaltending. The Red Wings lost to an uninspired Canucks squad on Sunday and they'll be thirsty for revenge. Larkin has 26 points in 25 games since December.
Chris Tierney, OTT vs. ARI ($4,500): I like Tierney's value proposition as Ottawa's second-line center and he's on a heater with a three-game assist streak. The return of Jean-Gabriel Pageau was supposed to cut back Tierney's role, but so far that hasn't happened and Tierney continues to center Brady Tkachuk and Mark Stone, the team's two best wingers.
WING
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY vs. CAR ($7,700): It's difficult to see how Carolina will try to stop Gaudreau without a physical defenseman who can make his life really miserable. Gaudreau has scored a point in every single game in January and deserves some MVP consideration for how well he's played. Despite outscoring both Alex Ovechkin ($7,800) and Patrick Kane ($8,000), Gaudreau comes cheaper and that makes him a decent value play.
Josh Bailey, NYI at CHI ($5,800): I don't think the Islanders' run is really sustainable, but Bailey is doing his part with three points in three games. The Blackhawks have hung their goalies out to dry for long stretches this season, and have settled on trying to outscore their opponents to win games. That's good news for an Islanders offense that doesn't have a lot of bite. The Blackhawks have allowed four or more goals in each of their past six games.
Anthony Mantha, DET at EDM ($4,800): The hulking goal scorer is on a four-game point streak with two goals and two assists, and starting to realize his massive potential. The Oilers are a good matchup because their goaltending is weak and morale has probably never been lower. At his best, Mantha is a quality high-volume shooter, and against the Oilers the odds are always in favor of the shooter.
DEFENSE
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. CAR ($6,600): It's hard to stay away from the Flames, but among defensemen priced at $6,000 or more, Giordano still feels like the best option despite the premium. Brent Burns ($6,500) is running a one-man show against the defending Cup champs, John Carlson ($6,200) doesn't produce a lot on the PP and Thomas Chabot is playing on one of the worst teams. Giordano has only gone one game without a point so far in January.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at OTT ($5,000): He's on a three-game point streak, and despite having a down year offensively is still one of the best shooters from the blue line. He scored a goal last time the two teams played and has been consistently reliable in all situations, either at home or on the road and against both Eastern and Western Conference opponents. Against the Sens, OEL should have a high-floor and offers better value than Erik Gustafsson ($5,300), Mike Green ($5,400) or Ryan Pulock ($5,500).
